The office, established just six months ago, had asked for a 40 percent funding increase but came away with its budget cut by 20 percent.
If Congress reduces matching funds for the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, many states would suddenly face $2 billion shortfalls apiece.
A new forecast anticipates the state seeing nearly $1 billion less in revenue than projected as recently as November, bringing the expected four-year shortfall to $15 billion.
Trust in local government has declined in recent years. Liberty Lake, Wash., has found ways to assure residents their voices will be heard.
The city had to reshuffle more than $50 million to address the unexpected shortfall, driven by overtime costs due to staffing shortages. The Fire Department alone needed an injection of $33 million to pay for unexpected overtime.
Austin, Dallas, Houston and others face shortfalls. An analysis of the nation’s 75 biggest cities found that 54 are short of funds with a collective $300 billion in debt.
In his final budget proposal, Democrat Phil Murphy calls for replacing old and unreliable buses and rail cars.
Many states, particularly Republican-led ones, are feeling pressure to align their legislative priorities with the presidential administration. But states are facing new financial constraints after years of revenue growth.
Crystal River, Minn., is a freshly incorporated city that lacks money for services and infrastructure. A lobbyist would help secure state funds, but some local officials call the idea a “racket.”
Longtime conservative activist Carl DeMaio won an Assembly seat last year, arguing the GOP must be more aggressive against Democratic policies. Some Republicans call him a self-promoter who can’t be trusted.
A bill would set caps on infrastructure funds, allowing localities to make up the difference by charging fees on deliveries. Local officials say the plan will leave them short.
The White House ordered a pause on all federal grants, partly intending to target diversity, equity and inclusion and other "woke" programs. A third of states' budgets comes from federal grants.
Maryland took historic steps to improve its education system. It shouldn't back away from them now, even amid budget shortfalls.
As the Trump administration steps up immigration enforcement, GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has sent a request to congressional leaders to be paid back for his Biden-era efforts.
Since implementing an electronic fare card in 2016, the system has been plagued by glitches and doubled its projected cost to $285 million.
States face a tricky year, with their own revenues stalling and federal aid running low.
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